Damper for heating and ventilating systems.



J. E. MoGINNESS.

DAMPER FOR HEATING AND VENTILATING SYSTEMS. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13,1911.

1,009,769. Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

wrmessss COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH CO..WASHINGTON, D. c.

JOSEPH E. MCGINNESS, O13" PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

DAMPER FOR HEATING AND VENTILATING SYSTEMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

Application filed January 13, 1911. Serial No. 602,450.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, Josnrrr E. Mo- GINNnss, a resident of Pittsburgh, inthe county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a newand useful improvement in Dampers for Heating and Ventilating Systems,of which the following is a. specification.

This invention relates to dampers for heating and ventilating systems,or for smoke pipes and the like.

The object of the invention is to provide a damper with means to set thesame and prevent unauthorized tampering therewith, and also with meansfor conveniently holding the same in set position while testing thesystem.

The invention comprises the construction and arrangement of partshereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side view of a flue showinga. damper therein and my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is asectional view of the damper locking means on the line 22, Fig. 1; Fig.3 is an inside view of the locking means; and Fig. t is a detailsectional view of the key and key guide taken on the line M, Fig. 2.

In the drawings 1 indicates a fine either for hot air for heating, orcold air for ventilating, such as used in buildings which are heated andventilated by hot air systems, or for smoke, or other gases. This fluemay be either circular, square, rectangular or of other suitable crosssection.

The damper is indicated at 2 and is of What is known as the butter-flytype, being secured midway of its edges to the shaft or axle 3, the endsof which form trunnions upon which said damper swings. The ends of thisshaft or axle extend through suitable holes in the side walls of thefine as is the usual custom, so that by turning said shaft or axle thedamper can be set at any desired angle in the flue, so as to more orless obstruct the passage through the latter. Heretofore it has been thepractice to provide the end of the shaft or axle with a handle or thelike which is accessible to every one and by means of which the dampercan be set at any desired angle. Sometimes, but not always, means havebeen provided for en gaging the handle so as to prevent the damper frommoving under the flow of air through the flue. With such prior deviceshowever, unauthorized or curious persons are liable to change thesetting of the damper and therefore disturb the equalizing of theheating or ventilating system. It is of course well known that in allhot air systems the distribution of air through the flues is notuniform, and that the dampers must be quite accurately set in order tomaintain the desired. flow of air through the various 1 flues.Consequently any tampering by unauthorized or unskilled persons with thedampers, is liable to derange the entire system to a great extent.

The present invention is designed to provide means for accuratelysetting the damper and holding it while testing the system to seewhether the damper is properly set, and which when properly set can belocked so that it cannot be altered by an unauthorized individual. Thisis accomplished by the following means. Secured to the outside of theflue is a suitable casing lwhich may be attached to the flue so that itcannot be readily removed, such for instance as by rivets, bolts or thelike 5. This casing is of general circular form, and inclosed within itis a rotary member 6 which is provided with a square or other shapedhole 7 for receiving a similarly shaped end of the shaft or axle 3, sothat the latter must rotate with the member 6. This rotary member isprovided with a lug 8 which projects outwardly through an arc-shapedslot 9 in the casing 4, and is provided with a threaded hole 10- forreceiving a threaded extension 11 of handle 12, the latter beingprovided with a flange or head 13 adapted to bear against the peripheryof the casing 4. It will be readily seen that when the handle is screwedinto the lug 8 the shoulder or head 13 is brought tightly against theperiphery of the casino; 4:, thereby locking the rotary member 6 in thecasing. This is utilized when testing the system and setting the damper.For instance the damper will be moved to the position thought to beright for that particular flue, and the handle 12 then screwed into thelug 8 until the head 13 of the handle binds tightly against theperiphery of the casing. This insures the damper remaining accurately inthat position until tests are made to determine whether the rightquantity of air is flowing through the flue. If the damper is notproperly set the handle is slightly unscrewed and moved in one directionor the other to set the damper at a new position, the handle then againscrewed tight to lock the damper in this position for further test, andthis is continued until the damper has been brought to the correctposition. Hence in testing, the damper cannot accidentally move out ofadjusted position by the flow of air through the flue or for othercauses. The end 11 of the handle is preferably pointed and acts inconjunction with graduations on the casing to facilitate setting thedamper.

To prevent unauthorized tampering with the damper there is provided akey controlled lock for the rotary member 6. This may be of any desiredconstruction and is shown in the drawings of very simple form. Asillustrated the rotary member 6 is provided with an arc-shaped slot 14through which extends a threaded rod 15 on which is a nut 16 locatedinside of rotary member 6. The threaded rod 15 extends through a hole inthe outer wall of casing 4t and is there provided with a collar orenlargement 17 which prevents this rod from moving inwardly. The outerend 18 of the rod is of triangular or other shape for receiving asuitable key 19. This outer end of the rod is located in a socket orsleeve 20, which on its inner face is provided with projections 21 orother means which co-act with grooves 22 in the key to prevent theinsertion of any form of key. It will be obvious that with the properkey this rod can be rotated to tighten the nut 16 thereon and lock therotary member 6 to the casing at. This locks the damper in its adjustedposition and in a manner so that it cannot be moved except by a personprovided with a proper key. The handle 12 is used in adjusting thedamper as heretofore described, and constitutes convenient means for notonly moving the damper, but also for quickly looking it in position fortesting. When the damper has been set to its final adjusted position itis permanently locked by means of the key 19 acting on the threaded rod15 and nut 16. When permanently locked, the handle 12 is removed andcarried away. This insures the damper remaining in that position untilit is changed by an authorized person.

hat I claim is:

1. The combination with a flue, of a damper pivotally mounted thereinand provided with an operating stem extending through the flue wall, ahandle connected to said stem for operating the damper and beingdetachable therefrom, a lock for securing said stem to a fixed part ofthe flue to prevent movement of said stem, and a shaped key cooperatingwith said lock and being entirely separate therefrom and removabletherefrom.

2. The combination with a flue, of a damper mounted therein and havingan operating stem extending through the flue wall, a casing secured to aflue wall and concealing the projecting end of said stem and providedwith a shaped key socket, a removable key shaped to fit said socket andcooperating with said stem, and means in the casing controlled by saidkey when in said socket and arranged to lock said stem againstunauthorized movement.

8. The combination with a flue, of a damper pivotally mounted thereinand having an operating shaft extending through a flue wall, a rotarymember attached to said shaft, a casing concealing said rotary memberand provided with a shaped key socket, a removable key fitting saidsocket and cooperating with said stem, and means in said casingcontrolled by said key when in said socket and arranged to lock saidrotary member to said casing.

45. The combination with a flue, of a damper pivotally mounted thereinand having an operating shaft extending through the wall of the flue, anoperating member on the outer end of said stem, a casing inclosing saidoperating member, said operating member being provided with a projectionextending through a segmental slot in said casing, and a handle having athreaded engagement with said projection and serving to move said rotarymember and also as a means to lock said rotary member to said casmg.

5. The combination with a flue, of a damper pivotally mounted thereinand having a shaft extending through the wall of the flue, a disk on theouter end of said shaft, a casing inclosing said disk and provided witha segmental slot, a projection on said disk ex tending through saidsegmental slot and provided with a threaded opening, and a handleengaging said threaded opening and provided with a shoulder to engagethe outer face of the casing and lock said disk to said casing.

6. The combination with a flue, of a damper pivotally mounted thereinand having a shaft extending through the wall of the casing, a disk onthe outer end of said shaft and provided with a segmental slot, athreaded rod rotatably mounted in the casing and extending through saidslot and being immovable endwise, a nut on said threaded rod, and a keyopening through the casing whereby the key may be made to engage saidthreaded rod.

7 The combination with a flue, of a damper therein, a rotary shaft onwhich said damper is mounted, said shaft extending through the wall ofthe flue, a disk on the outer end of said shaft and provided with asegmental slot, a casing inclosing said disk and provided with a keyopening and with a segmental slot, a rotary member endwise immovable inthe casing and extending through the segmental slot in said disk, a nuton said threaded member, said threaded member having its outer endarranged for engagement by a key through the key hole opening in thecasing, a projection on the disk extending through the segmental slot inthe casing and provided with a threaded hole radial to the axis of thedisk, and a handle having a threaded extension for engaging said holeand provided with a shoul- 10 der for engaging the periphery of theeasmg.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

JOSEPH E. MGGINNESS. Witnesses:

O. A. ROEHLING, MARY E. CAHooN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

